Dictionary of Computers - feedback (general)

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Influence of the outputs of a process on the inputs. It is the principle used in self-regulating control systems, from a simple thermostat and steam-engine governor to automatic computer-controlled machine tools. A fully computerized control system, in which there is no operator intervention, is called a closed-loop feedback system. A system that also responds to control signals from an operator is called an open-loop feedback system.

In self-regulating systems, information about what is happening in a system (such as level of temperature, engine speed, or size of workpiece) is fed back to a controlling device, which compares it with what should be happening. If the two are different, the device takes suitable action (such as switching on a heater, allowing more steam to the engine, or resetting the tools). The idea that the Earth is a self-regulating system, with feedback operating to keep nature in balance, is a central feature of the Gaia hypothesis.

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